


Ausdauer

by King_Scar



Category: Unbroken (2014)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, World War II
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-30
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2019-01-26 11:45:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12556696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/King_Scar/pseuds/King_Scar
Summary: Erich Blumenthal and Louie Zamperini are polar opposites.Louie, the high school thug turned running sensation. Good looking, popular, and one to chase the wildest of dreams. He’s got his entire future before him.Erich, the reclusive German immigrant at Torrance High. Prone to illness, solitary, and determined to prove himself. His future is up for him to create.Their lives before the war have intertwined over and over, but when the war throws the two together in a chain of bizarre events, they learn that it doesn’t always take an army to win a war. Sometimes, all it takes is the man beside you.





	Ausdauer

Erich Hubert Blumenthal first met Louis Silvie Zamperini when he tried to slice Louie’s ear off.

Erich had been forced by his parents to stay at home… again. He had once again fallen ill, this time with a respiratory infection. His mother, Fritzi, and his father, Justus, always worked away from home, so Erich learned to fend for himself.

Erich normally used his time alone to study English. A German immigrant from the beautiful city of Nuremberg, he and his parents had moved to Torrance after catching wind of a promising business opportunity. Because he only spoke German, he took to finding English copies of books he’d had in Nuremberg - _The Three Musketeers_ , _The Legend of Sleepy Hollow_ , _The Iliad_ \- and using them to further expand his knowledge of English. The translating took much effort and a quiet environment, both of which Erich had at home.

So when Erich heard one of the windows in the kitchen open without warning, he felt understandably irritated.

The fear one might normally feel at hearing an intruder had not touched Erich’s heart. In fact, he rarely ever felt fear at all. Standing at an imposing six feet two inches, with fists that packed a punch reminiscent of being kicked by a horse, Erich knew that he could and would take on anyone who tried to break into his home. Erich rose to his feet, stepped away from his desk, and snuck towards the kitchen.

When he got there, he immediately saw the source of the commotion; a skinny, black haired boy with his back to Erich and his nose in the pantry. As soon as the boy heard Erich’s footsteps, he whipped around, grabbed what food he could, and ran for the front door. His speed left Erich in the dust, but Erich would not let this little thief get away with what his family had rightfully earned.

The German grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter and stormed after the boy. Just before the boy could escape out the front door, Erich took aim and threw the knife at the boy’s head. It embedded itself in the doorframe, missing the thief’s ear by a hair’s width. The boy froze in fear, eyes glued on the knife.

“ _Was machst du hier_?” Erich demanded. Remembering that the boy probably spoke English, he said, “What are you doing here?” 

The boy said nothing. Erich took a second look at the boy and noticed his skin. Pale, like his. Sickly. Unhealthy.

_He doesn’t have enough to eat, either_ , Erich realized. _He’s like me_.

“Look at me,” Erich said.

The thief turned towards Erich, his eyes to the ground.

“With your eyes,” Erich elaborated. The boy complied, looking up at Erich. Blue eyes met blue eyes, and the German suddenly realized that this boy was no stranger.

“I know you, don’t I?” Erich said. “From Torrance High. Pete’s brother.”

A look of recognition washed over the thief’s face. Erich did go to Torrance High, though his sickness often kept him away.

“Louis,” the boy said. “Just call me Louie.”

“Erich,” the German replied.

Guilt swept over Louie’s face as he remembered the stolen food in his arms. With his figurative tail between his legs, he dumped the food in his arms back on the kitchen counter. Erich sensed something timid beneath Louie’s rigid stance, and his heart filled with pity.

Before Louie could step out the front door, Erich put a hand on the thief’s shoulder to stop him. When Louie turned around, Erich held out a loaf of bread in his right hand.

“If you wanted food,” Erich said, “you might’ve asked.”

Louie’s eyes widened with wonder. He hesitantly took the bread, and when Erich nodded with approval, smiled and bolted down the front porch and out of sight.

Erich bowed his head and closed the door behind him.

_Vielleicht_ , Erich thought, _wir werden uns wieder treffen_.

“Perhaps,” he said aloud, “we will meet again.”

**Author's Note:**

> I never thought I'd ever write this, but here you go. 
> 
> Note: While "Unbroken" is a true story, which I do not own, Erich's role in this story is purely fiction. 
> 
> With that being said, I hope you enjoy! 
> 
> Amō vos! 
> 
> ~ Hipster Cicero


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